What are some of your biggest journaling challenges?

[Darcy Baldwin]

You don't like how it looks on the page?

You don't feel like you have a story to tell?

You are more into the photographs and elements and aren't interested in sharing the story?

You don't share online but put it in journaling later?

You don't feel you have a 'voice'?


Are there other things that keep you from journaling on your pages?

[NeverendingJen]

Usually its just that the journaling won't cooperate with my page....I'm a very journaling focused scrapper

[adrianka]

I didn't start out as a scrapper, I used to do purely graphical work before. That's why I tend to leave out the story if I feel it's not necessary. Sometimes I just like the "show, don't tell" principle, especially if the LO is a gift for a friend and we both know what the shared moment is about.

Also, when I do pages for friends featuring their kids, I don't usually know the story, so I don't put any journalling in.

[MichaelsMomJo]

For me the biggest challenge is remembering to plan for it. I don't like when my journaling looks like it was just stuck on the page as an afterthought. If I'm going to have extensive journaling I like to make sure that it's part of the composition so the page stays balanced. But sometimes I get so involved with placement of papers, photos, etc. that I forget to include journaling placement. This frustrates me because I then have to go back and make significant changes.

[pewtertm]

Alot of my pages feature a random photo, where there's not real story to tell. I could do the warm fuzzy 'oh how much i love you' type of journaling, but I'm not really a warm fuzzy person and I don't want every page to be like that, kwim?

There are also times when I will put the date and place, and leave it at that, because the photo speaks for itself.

[MamaBee]

collecting my thoughts... sometimes I feel like I could write a novel, and I get so excited that I jump all over the place in my writing... my challenge is to narrow it down to... "just the facts, ma'am!"... if I went back and re-edit my pages, it would take me twice as long to create a page... ;) I believe very strongly in including journaling on my pages, so 98% of them have a story.

[SweetMelissa]

I can usually never find the "right" place to put it. Or I'll have a spot that looks good but I have too much text & its over lapping something else or too little and the space looks empty.

[adrianka]

Alot of my pages feature a random photo, where there's not real story to tell. I could do the warm fuzzy 'oh how much i love you' type of journaling, but I'm not really a warm fuzzy person and I don't want every page to be like that, kwim?

There are also times when I will put the date and place, and leave it at that, because the photo speaks for itself.

Actually I think this is a sensible attitude. :-)

[oohlala]

Sometimes the picture is speaking its thousand words, but other times I really want to 'tell the story of the moment' or reflect on my feelings about the picture(s). My biggest issue with journaling is that I often get my journalling ideas while scrapping, and end up doing a number of layouts of the same image to get it right... pic with the right kit, tone of voice that matches both. And then I get frustrated and put it down. I think my process is backwards. I have considered Log your memory books to help with this... think it is going to be on my Christmas list.

[my2monkeys]

collecting my thoughts... sometimes I feel like I could write a novel, and I get so excited that I jump all over the place in my writing... my challenge is to narrow it down to... "just the facts, ma'am!"... if I went back and re-edit my pages, it would take me twice as long to create a page... ;) I believe very strongly in including journaling on my pages, so 98% of them have a story.


This is me too... I often have several drafts and have been know to create an outline in order to keep a focus in my journaling otherwise I tend to go off in all kinds of directions. I also have been know to think of starting in one direction with my journaling but it ends up something totally different.

Design-wise... I have struggled with the font size vs the amount of space available and it still being readable.

When I don't journal... it's often because I'm not in the mood for it??? what... yep that right... I have to be in the mood to write. I have been know to go back later and add journaling for my personal pages... I just doesn't update them on-line.

[ayaandjudah]

I try to journal on every page but sometimes there just isn't room. But I'd say 75% of my layouts have journaling on them. The best example I can give is my daddy diving LO. I love the way it turned out. But there was a story to tell, just no room to tell it. that's usually why I don't journal on a LO

[jessica31876]

usually my challenge is not enough space. I try to journal on almost every layout I do even just a little bit. Sometimes I do leave it out if it is really personal journalling. Not that there is anything like shocking in the journalling LOL but more that I just want it to be shared with one person

[Darcy Baldwin]

Design-wise... I have struggled with the font size vs the amount of space available and it still being readable.



Don't know if you've heard this trick, but if you shrink a 12x12 layout to 25%, the image will look just like it looks if it was printed as an 8x8. The journaling, then, should be easily legible..and that's how you can judge a good size.


I'm not a mushy journaler, either. I like to tell more than the facts, and often have to edit down, too, because I've got too much to tell than I designed the page for. Glad to hear there are a few of us out there :)

[LibbysMommy]

I have to work really hard to condense my story...a lot of times there's a lot I want to say and it gets all jumbled with my excitement to get it all out on paper...I then have to go back and really edit my journaling to make it all fit and make sense to everyone else reading it, lol!!

[sprauncey1]

I have to work really hard to condense my story...a lot of times there's a lot I want to say and it gets all jumbled with my excitement to get it all out on paper...I then have to go back and really edit my journaling to make it all fit and make sense to everyone else reading it, lol!!

Me too! Course I'm this way IRL too so figures it would show up in my scrapbooking!

[kresta]

I like to journal and have tried to do it on much more of my pages than I used to. However, I always leave it for last, and by then, I often feel it just doesn't go with the design on my page. Honestly, journaling cards or blocks or whatever, don't seem to help all that much.

[Sasha]

I don't journal on my layouts well because the words don't easily flow for me...I struggle sometimes so i just leave it out...

date and place is fine for me, if someone asks what the story behind the picture is i will gladly tell them verbally. :mellow:

[scrappurple]

I moved around a lot as a kid. Because of that, learning English suffered going from teacher to teacher. So I have a hard time journaling because my writing isn't strong. I still do it, it just doesn't seem "moving" like others. :D

[KateD]

I journal on most of my pages. I tend to stick to the facts, but I'm trying to get more "touchy-feely" about it. Years from now I want my kids to look back on their books and see that not only did I care enough to record what happened in their lives, but they'll read how much I love them and how proud I am of them and what my hopes and dreams are for their lives.

There are layouts now and then when I don't journal much. These tend to be the older layouts when my kids were babies and toddlers. Many times it's a cute picture that I want to put in the book, but it doesn't have much of a "story" behind it. Too often, though, I don't journal on those pages because I don't remember the story behind them well enough to do it justice. That frustrates me and that's why I've become so passionate about scrapbooking - so I don't forget.

Don't know if you've heard this trick, but if you shrink a 12x12 layout to 25%, the image will look just like it looks if it was printed as an 8x8. The journaling, then, should be easily legible..and that's how you can judge a good size.

I'm not a mushy journaler, either. I like to tell more than the facts, and often have to edit down, too, because I've got too much to tell than I designed the page for. Glad to hear there are a few of us out there :)

I scrap 12x12 pages and the family albums will be 12x12, but I think my boys may prefer theirs to be 8x8. I've been afraid to try the smaller size, though, because I wasn't sure how it would look when it was printed. This will help a lot; thanks Darcy!

[MichaelsMomJo]

I scrap 12x12 pages and the family albums will be 12x12, but I think my boys may prefer theirs to be 8x8. I've been afraid to try the smaller size, though, because I wasn't sure how it would look when it was printed. This will help a lot; thanks Darcy!

I scrap 12x12, I save them 12x12, but I print at 8x8. Honestly, I love the way my pages look at 8X8. I find that things look more realistic to me. I actually prefer printing at 8x8.

[KateD]

I scrap 12x12, I save them 12x12, but I print at 8x8. Honestly, I love the way my pages look at 8X8. I find that things look more realistic to me. I actually prefer printing at 8x8.

Hmm, I may have to try a few "test pages" before I commit to printing an album in either size. I tend to put LOTS of photos on some pages, though, and I think the photos might be too small if I printed at 8x8. My wallet and bookshelves would certainly prefer 8x8, though :)

[carriesmom]

My issue not sounding like a total dork when I'm writing! I always feel like I sound overly sentimental and mushy and well contrite. I try my hardest to have an honest voice but sometimes I feel it gets muddled in all the emotion and sap.

[maryinaz]

I always try to put at least something on almost every page. I'm documenting our lives for posterity - I want my grandchildren on down to be able to know what is going on in the photo without me being there next to them. I just think about how I feel if I find an interesting old photo from either my or my DH's family and I don't know anything about it, and the people who can explain it are long gone.

I'm also not a touchy-feely journaler, so I don't do too much of that.

[eranslow]

I try to journal on every page - but sometimes it just doesn't work. And I wish I could write more eloquently. I love how La journals - she just makes it sound perfect!

[BrattyMeg]

I don't journal a lot on my pages inthe gallery but I do have journaling on most..just choose not to share it..not sure why really. Sometimes I add handwritten journaling before I put it in a book (after I print)

[juli001]

I guess either I write a whole novel or it's too short. I never really know what I want to include in my journaling... I've started to take notes though whenever I'm inspired by one of my photos.

[Paula]

As stupid as this sounds, I do my entire page first, then the journaling and sometimes it doesn't go with the "flow" of my page and looks like an afterthought. I know the journaling is the most important page of the page, but I just can't get past it. LOL

[kscwgirl]

I am not a writer, by nature. Sometimes I can do pages of the kids and it's super easy for me to write, although it doesn't always "flow" the way I think it should. Most of my pages though, I don't put journaling on, and I wish I could journal more, I really do.

[glumirk]

Sometimes the pictures are just pictures that I love, not particular memories. If so, I simply add a date so that I know when the picture was taken. If there is a story, I try to tell it, but sometimes I do rely on my blog to do my story-telling. Sometimes I scrap as therapy, so those journals are always the mushiest.

I've never been brave enough to try a mostly-journaling page. Maybe I should...

[kristijoy]

I think it's about 1/2 and 1/2. Some pages are just a beautiful photo and just don't need any other words.

Other pages have a wonderful story to tell. I like writing and find when I start to journal, it just starts to flow!

I also do pages that have journalling that is thought provoking or captures a particular spiritual moment/lesson I want to remember. These are some of my favorite pages as they are really heartfelt.

I've done lots of pages with one photo and lots of journalling and I have done a couple of pages with only journalling. Usually though, I find one photo that represents what I'm journalling about even if its just a feeling or a thought.

What I don't like to do is capture a negative emotion or emote on a page. Negativity for negativities sake just doesn't work for me. If it's a particularily difficult issue or moment, I always turn it to the positive and draw the positive lesson from it. Isn't that what life is about anyway? I want to remember and be my higher self.

[sari55]

Hmm, I may have to try a few "test pages" before I commit to printing an album in either size. I tend to put LOTS of photos on some pages, though, and I think the photos might be too small if I printed at 8x8. My wallet and bookshelves would certainly prefer 8x8, though :)

Did this the other day. Ordered some 8x8 and 12x12 since I really haven't printed out my layouts. And the order should be here tomorrow. Really interested to see how the 8x8's look! :thumbup::thumbup:


As far as journaling I always do it last but really try to leave room for it as I'm putting together my page... sometimes the story doesnt' come out just right but I feel that I got it down and it looks good where it's at so I'm happy! :thumbup:

[maryinaz]

What I don't like to do is capture a negative emotion or emote on a page. Negativity for negativities sake just doesn't work for me. If it's a particularily difficult issue or moment, I always turn it to the positive and draw the positive lesson from it. Isn't that what life is about anyway? I want to remember and be my higher self.

I just dealt with this exact thing on my last layout (for sneak peek tomorrow :) ) - my boys didn't have a great 4th grade year - the teacher was mean to the gifted kids - and I almost wrote about that. But then I decided, that's just not really worth documenting, so I just jotted down some good things about 4th grade instead.

Since a lot of us admit to leaving journaling as the last thing and try to fit it in (I do this often!), maybe we should challenge ourselves to start with the journaling placement, as we would a photo, then create the layout around that. :)

[gabbygirl]

As stupid as this sounds, I do my entire page first, then the journaling and sometimes it doesn't go with the "flow" of my page and looks like an afterthought. I know the journaling is the most important page of the page, but I just can't get past it. LOL

Exactly what I was gonna say!

[my2monkeys]

Don't know if you've heard this trick, but if you shrink a 12x12 layout to 25%, the image will look just like it looks if it was printed as an 8x8. The journaling, then, should be easily legible..and that's how you can judge a good size.


I wish that was my problem... I often start my pages the size they are going to be printed... but still there is often not enough space to put all the journaling I want.

[Milmomma]

I love to journal with my pages. I have old photo albums from my dad's dad's parents and wonder who the people are and what is going on. I use to dream up stories as a kid. So, now I try to tell the story even if its just something small. I usually start my page by adding pics/journaling then pick the kit. For me I feel it is important after being passed down books that I wish I knew more about. I'm hoping my kid's kids will get more out of my books.
Sometimes I ramble on too much and I often find misspelled words in my journaling, but figured that's part of me so I don't usually bother to fix it ;)

[ajfries]

As stupid as this sounds, I do my entire page first, then the journaling and sometimes it doesn't go with the "flow" of my page and looks like an afterthought. I know the journaling is the most important page of the page, but I just can't get past it. LOL


This is my problem too. It really bugs me since most of my layouts are of my kids, so the journaling is really, really important for me to get down. Otherwise I should just put their pics in a photo album & call it good.

[misfitinmn]

I journal on like 99% of my pages, and sometimes I am forced to just put it in a random spot on the page....so I guess the whole "finding room for the journalling" is a problem for me! The only time I don't journal is when the photos & title on the page tell the whole story...but that doesn't happen very often, because I scrap such random things!

[so blessed]

I have trouble when I feel like all I ever do is write "we went to xyz (which is usually obvious from the pics), and had a GREAT time!" LOL

[SmallMoments]

I'm a girl of few words, when it comes to journaling. So my issue is making my story long enough to make it worthwhile to journal, if that makes sense. In most of my LOs with journaling, I feel like I'm rambling.

[HeatherKS]

Alot of my pages feature a random photo, where there's not real story to tell. I could do the warm fuzzy 'oh how much i love you' type of journaling, but I'm not really a warm fuzzy person and I don't want every page to be like that, kwim?

There are also times when I will put the date and place, and leave it at that, because the photo speaks for itself.

Yes! That exactly! I journal on layouts when there's a story to tell, like birthdays, pics of the kids together, holidays, etc., but not necessarily on every single "cute picture" page. Sometimes I just want to share the picture and don't necessarily have a story to tell with it.

[so blessed]

Oh, and I also run out of things to say on baby pages. I take LOTS of baby pictures, and I like to scrap them all, but I can only say "you're so cute! we love you so much!" so many times!